Easy Street; New ad revenue; Drinking the Kool-Aid

I find it very interesting that you focus a lot of print on the effects of the governor's budget on public employees and the fact that they may be out $700 for insurance or other fees, yet fail to address the Wisconsin private sector, where most people, if still employed, have taken an actual 20% pay cut. That amounts to a reduction of somewhere between $10,000 and $20,000 due strictly to the policies coming out of Washington and Obama. And according to Department of Workforce Development statistics, less than 39% of the men and women in the state who are able to work actually work. That means more than 61% of Wisconsinites do nothing except rake in entitlements that the rest of us pay for.

Public-sector employees better wise up to the world around them. It is changing, and not for the better.

Norm Arendt, Middleton

New ad revenue

The American Apparel ad on the back of the Aug. 26 edition is child pornography. Why do you continue to run these ads? The model is obviously barely of age, if that! I have also contacted American Apparel regarding the totally inappropriate content of their ads, but you must bear the responsibility as well, due to your accepting the money and running an ad that clearly shows a young girl in a sexually compromised position!

How much does this back page ad sell for? I would be willing to pay for it just to keep these horrible American Apparel ads off!

Betsy Hambrick

Drinking the Kool-Aid

City of Madison recycling coordinator George Dreckmann is only saying what is in his best interest in discouraging people from scavenging scrap metal from city bins and curbs ("Scavengers Take Bite Out of City Budget," 8/26/11). He doesn't care about the intrinsic value of discarded items, only what money can he make from them. So your collections are down (in scrap value to you) $17,500. Ever consider that people are buying fewer cans of pop and more large bottles, Kool-Aid, or just drinking water they themselves put into a bottle? I'm very happy to see "scavengers" go through recyclables. That money goes to a good place. George's money will just be spent anyway.